I remember a few years back playing a video game. I forget which one, but at some point a character said something along the lines of "After everything, all you've got to show is some metal," in relation to the pursuit of gold. That's always stuck with me. Metal has value, yes, but it's not worth blood. People shouldn't die for it, and no man with an ounce of honor should kill for it. I think that Bartolomé would've thought much the same.

Although the religious focus feels strange to me, as someone who isn't religious, I also know that this is a clear sign of how deeply his compassion for these people ran. To see them as children of God in his age was radical and needed.

This man was a saint in many ways. He saw the writing on the wall, saw that the ink was blood, and did what he could to try and prevent the coming storm. It's a true shame that he didn't make more progress in that goal.

It wasn't about anything other than domination, I imagine. So many people died for ideas that just feel broken. I can't imagine what it must have felt like to see it, to watch people bleed and kill for a concept as vague as control.

I can't imagine why the brutality was so common in these killings. I get that you need to send a message, but this is cruel on every level imaginable.

If this is a verified account, I get the impression that Montezuma was a very charismatic speaker. I could listen to this kind of language all day.

Whales often feel like, if we had hunted them sustainably, they might just have been the single most valuable resource on earth.

Don't underestimate the amount of natural resources North America used to have. It really would have been something to behold.

I've been to Greenland myself, and that is about what you get there. It's a lot of ice and long rocky coastlines. Glad to see that hasn't changed.

This is one of the most humbling facts of history. We aren't immune to the world, even when we think we've claimed it. A million deaths brought not by conquest or famine, but disease. It's a terrible, almost insulting way for a society to fall.

Which might not have even been eaten at that particular feast. There;s a lot to say about that though.

It;s amazing to imagine what might have happened if the disease hadn't ravaged this area. It's amazing, and in a way haunting.

I've had the opportunity to see some of these sites, and it really is amazing how well they did. Keep in mind, the best pack animal they had was a lama. They had to carry most of this stuff themselves.

I'm just going to say in advance that this is likely due to the disease. Tragic, all-consuming disease, namely smallpox.

That isn't even a matter of conjecture. He's right, that is heresy. I can't imagine how much courage it must have taken for him to do this back when he did. The church was powerful, and he held his ground. It's amazing.

Again, Luther's point is clearly against not the church, but with their dogma. He wants faith to be something for everyone, and that is beautiful.

I like this statement. I don't personally believe in an religions, but this is a truth of them. To claim one part of religion is more holy than the rest only leads to more pain. I think this assertion by Luther is one of his best.

This makes for a fair complaint. Luther is reasonable in his frustration with this practice. To have authority be the only one to investigate leads to nothing but corruption.

Although not connected as much to the greater issue, I always want to leave a note mentioning how much of history is just diseases. It's a staggering amount of history. Too much, really.

I understand this action. You don't want war, so you use laws. It's a simple move, but I know it didn't end up working.

This is just disgusting, and more proof of blatant kidnapping. You don't brand people, you don't steal them. Slavery is an evil of history, and even in modern day, but the practice will always leave a bad taste in my mouth.

Again, they just take people. I can't imagine how they got away with it.

This is just baffling to me. Arica wasn't considerably weaker than Europe at this point in history, at least not on the land. I understand the reason you don't retaliate with violence, but I wouldn't be so patient in their shoes.

I find it hard to believe that Mughal wasn't meant to invoke the same feeling as the Mongols. Brand recognition means a lot, even in terms of empite naming.

A city with a legacy of protection. I think that's a better legacy than most would end up having, especially i it could help to save a culture like this.

That is some impressive trade routes. So impressive that I want to go around them to find cheaper trade routes.

This little empire would last all the way into the 20th century, ultimately collapsing after World War I. It's crazy to think about just how long this empire, one that had been an enemy to the late Roman Empire, survived.

And nothing bad ever happens to Lisbon. Nope, no major earthquakes here.

Though it might not seem like it, I know from outside sources just how often they're would be two or even three popes at at time.

I love the Papal States. They're great, or at least fun to read about.

It would be reports like this that would fuel expeditions, at least to me. The ideal of a more perfect life, more beautiful lands. I would want to know more, regardless of the dangers.

I like that tidbit of wisdom. It makes sense in its own way. To rule one must steward their people, and framing like this makes it feel more human than anything.

It's hard to imagine this kind of expedition taking this long. I know it did, but still that is a commitment that's hard to imagine. Just leaving everything for years, decades even. It's a lot.

That is an incredible show of power. I don't love historical violence, but doing that so early into the expeditions will make people fear, and by proxy, respect you.

I also find this one to be a little false. Someone can be wholly confident and open to that fact. I speak highly of my skills when I'm sure I can excel, and I don't see a problem with that.

I read this once a long time ago in an encyclopedia I was fond of I couldn't have been more than nine at the time, but I found it to be important to my own personal development.

Don't lose sight of the bigger picture. Again, a peice of wisdom I've heard echoed throughout most of history. I really find that beautiful.

I find this to be entirely true. Life is a matter of perspective, and to have a healthy perspective is to have a happier life.

I do wonder if the political influence gained through the expeditions was worth the cost. I really don't know if it was, but I wish I did.

That almost feels impossible given what I know about systematic corruption, but I love that they pulled it off.

I think that's probably really healthy for their society. Keeping morality secular protects the ideas of Confucius from the interests of religion, which would likely mean it would persevere over time.

That feels really impressive considering how much western langues have changed through the years.

This kind of thing happens a lot in history if I remember correctly. It was common here, in Europe, and probably other places that I'm not fully aware of.